Meet the Interns: SS + K's Ruthie Edwards

Tell us about your internship, what are your main responsibilities?


As a UX intern, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a ton of different projects. During one week, I was
helping with the launch of a branded e-learning site, brainstorming experiential concepts for a conference,
and designing interfaces for an alternate reality game, all at the same time.


Do you have a dream account or brand you’d like to work with? Which one?


Nintendo. I love the simplicity and integrity of their brand and how they appeal to a universal audience.
Plus, I’m a huge fan.


Talk to us about the culture in your office, how has it impacted your internship?

I love the culture here. Everyone has really strong values, which is one of the reasons why I came here.
And those values translate into the work. I appreciate the work/life balance and the camaraderie everyone
has – it’s the opposite of what I’ve heard about the “cut-throat” world of advertising. We have culturebuilding activities like SS+K Loves, a time for sharing what our coworkers are interested in outside of the office. I’ve enjoyed so much new music and movies I wouldn’t normally have heard about. 


What have you learned about the advertising industry that surprised you?


I’ve learned that you need to be able to adapt to new projects at the speed of light. Being able to
understand the scope of projects with drastically different timelines is a real skill.


Choose a current popular advertising trend and tell us what’s interesting about it:


Hyper-targeting is really interesting because although it can seem creepy at times, I do appreciate that
the ‘algorithm’ treats me like a person with diverse interests. I’m not just lumped in with a group of 20-
something females – my feeds are full of video game ads and makeup ads and ads for 3D printers.


Imagine your dream job, where are you, what does a day-to-day look like?


I want to make stuff all day! Weird stuff that would take some persuading to get a client excited about. I’d
be stretching conventional boundaries and exploring new media.


Are you considering another internship, or looking for jobs now? What are your next steps?


I have one year left of grad school at the VCU Brandcenter and after that I will be looking for a job as a
UX designer. Not too picky about what city, but want to make sure I’m working with good people, on a
good team that appreciates the value that design can add to brands.


What is your favorite ad of all time?


It’s not exactly iconic, but I loved the ad announcing the Nintendo Switch in 2016. It was the first time that
I ever saw someone that looked like me in a video game ad and I actually cried. In the video, an adult
woman is playing video games in her very chic New York apartment decked out with plants and candles.
It defied the stereotypical depictions of gamer “bros” I’ve seen my whole life and I hope that’s a cue the
whole video game industry takes seriously.